We will always see proud people make mistakes, since they are prone to disregarding advice. Good advice is beneficial for our well-being, but if we reject it, we will suffer the consequences.
Pride is one of the greatest obstacles to personal growth, because it hardens the heart and closes the ears to wisdom. When a person believes that he knows everything, he stops learning and begins to walk blindly. The Scriptures repeatedly warn us about this attitude, showing that arrogance leads to ruin, while humility opens the door to understanding. Listening to advice is not a sign of weakness; on the contrary, it is evidence of maturity and discernment.
Serious problems will arise for the man who rejects good advice. We know well that when we sit down and listen to good advice, whether from our parents or someone we trust, we will not fail, whether financially or in a business we are undertaking.
Throughout life, we constantly face decisions that can mark our future for good or for ill. Many failures could have been avoided if someone had taken the time to listen and reflect on wise counsel. Parents, mentors, and experienced people often speak from what they have lived, learned, and sometimes suffered. Ignoring that wisdom is like refusing a light in the middle of darkness.
The wise Solomon gives us this great teaching, since advice is what can free us from pure shame and poverty, and this is what will happen to the ignorant who despise the words of the wise.
Solomon, known for the wisdom God granted him, understood that instruction and correction are essential tools for building a stable life. His proverbs are not empty words, but principles tested over time. He clearly connects the rejection of instruction with shame and poverty, showing that these are not random outcomes, but the natural result of stubbornness and lack of humility.
Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.
Proverbs 13:18
This verse presents two contrasting paths. On one side, there is the person who refuses correction and ends up facing lack and humiliation. On the other, there is the one who accepts reproof and receives honor. Honor here is not only material prosperity, but also respect, peace of conscience, and a life ordered by wisdom. Accepting correction often hurts our pride, but it heals our path.
It doesn’t matter if it is our children that we give any advice to; If it is good and it is for his own good, we should give it to him. If they fall into shame or poverty, it will be because they did not listen to the good advice they were given and decided to walk their own paths.
Parents have a great responsibility to guide their children with love and firmness. Advising is an act of love, even when it is not well received. Many times, children believe they know better, but time reveals the value of parental counsel. Instruction given early can prevent years of suffering later. However, each person must choose whether to listen or to ignore.
We can often see these events: children disobeying the advice of their parents. Many go back, but others end up falling into misfortunes, and this is where the shame manifests itself, since they made the mistake and cannot look their parents in the face because they did not listen to their good advice.
Shame often comes not only from failure itself, but from the awareness that the failure could have been avoided. This feeling can be heavy, but it can also become a turning point. Those who humble themselves, recognize their error, and return to the path of wisdom still have the opportunity to be restored and learn from their mistakes.
Brothers and friends, it is good that you do not despise the advice of the wise man; Listen to him and, if he is good, he will help you on your path so that shame and with it poverty do not come to you. God bless you.
Let us therefore cultivate a teachable spirit. Let us ask God for discernment to recognize good advice and the humility to accept it. A life guided by wisdom is a life protected from many unnecessary pains. When we listen, reflect, and apply wise counsel, we walk a path that leads not to shame, but to honor and blessing.